Why We Should Dwell on Our Failures

By
Paige Brettingen

June 15, 2017

When we fail at something and want to erase it from our memories, our first inclination may be exactly that: Forget it ever happened. But a new book, ‘Rising Strong,’ featuring interviews with prominent professionals, argues we’re better off only after we’ve fully processed that failure. According to the author, ‘the process of struggling and navigating hurt has as much to offer us as the process of being brave and showing up.’ That said, here are a few tips to make the proverbial lemonade out of that lemon you were handed: Contemplate the reasons why you failed; don’t deflect blame on someone else or extraneous circumstances; and remember that negative feedback isn’t necessarily a sign of failure. Once you’ve considered these points, you’re ready to look forward. Have you developed your own personal method of handling failure? Do you tend to move on immediately or assess what went wrong? Sound off in the comments!